Judiciary Support Staff promise zero tolerance to corruption

The Judicial Support Staff of the Court of Sierra Leone on Friday, November 8, 2013 vowed to maintain zero tolerance to corruption in the Judiciary.

They made this pledge during a two day training organized for Court Clerks and Registrars in the presence of Justice Solomon, Justice Hamilton, the consultant Master and Registrar, Mrs. Julia Sarkodie Mensah, Journalists, senior and junior members of the Judiciary etc.

The occasion attracted a total number of ninety two participants both in Freetown and from the provinces and was held in two of the classrooms at the Fast Track Commercial Court [FTCC] at Government Wharf in Freetown.

Delivering a lecture, the Consultant Master and Registrar, Mrs. Julia Sarkodie Mensah maintained that the workshop was organized to continue building the capacities of their staff to be conversant with the work of the Judiciary in order to enable them to deliver quality services to the public.

She observed that most times people do things out of ignorance which she said was they aim to address by organising such trainings.

She revealed that the programme was sponsored by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) under the Access to Justice Programme.

She urged participants to be able to tell the people who they are and to serve as Ambassadors of the Judiciary by portraying good ethics to the public .She added.

The soft spoken woman intimated that, their mission in the Judiciary is to build a modernized, independent, strong, well resource and accountable Judiciary. She lamented that, their vision is to deliver quality justice for all and she further explained that, their core values in making sure that, their mission and vision are fulfilled is to gain and maintain public trust and confidence. She said the public must always be assuring that decisions made in their Courts and master’s offices are always fair, transparent and accurate.

Concluding, Madam Mensah noted that, if the Judiciary Support Staff are not present, the Supreme and Magistrate Court cannot function well. She therefore urged members of the JSS to recognize the important role they played in the Judiciary.

In her statement, Justice Solomon teaches that, in the Magistrate Court they have Civil and Criminal procedures and added that, it has a limitation of five million Leones but if the matter claimed more than that amount, it always be sent to the High Court because she said there is no limitation of claim in the High Court .she said Civil matters in the Magistrate Court are regulated by the Magistrate Court rule of 1966 .

She stated that, petitions are unique in that, she said they affect the status of an individual and mentioned that, petition , Writ and originating summon are the process of commencing civil matters.

She advised members of JSS to stop the habit of pilfering exhibit but they should be marking over it properly and they must always stop altering or changing Affidavit which she described as important evidence that has the potential to send a Court worker to Prison for not able to afford it. At this stage all participants from the Judiciary Support Staffs vowed to achieve Zero tolerance to corruption in the Judiciary as from that day.

The no nonsense Justice Hamilton stated that, she always has problem with people who are unfaithful especially Registrar who takes document to lawyers for small amount given to you by that Pepeh Lawyer, she blasted. She affirmed that, the integrity of the Judiciary does not only depend in the hands of Magistrate or Judges but it also lies in the hands of the Judiciary Support Staff [JSS].

‘’Stop given information to Lawyers to have money ‘’ Justice Solomon insisted and further admonished them not to be afraid to tell Lawyers the truth and maintain their dignity.

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